Retracting the claw game: Lawmaker targets arcade favorite

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) It's an amusement park staple with a dedicated fan base. But how often does anyone really win at the claw machine?

One New Jersey lawmaker has the same question and wants the state to consider more oversight over the game.

Critics maintain the game is easy to rig. They say operators can set the payout odds and control the strength of the joystick-controlled claw to determine whether a prize can be retrieved.

They also claim that players rarely capture any of the ''big prizes'' that the games offer.

But industry officials dispute those allegations. They say it's in arcades' best interests to have customers win prizes, because if they're not getting anything over time they likely won't want to play the games.